Jordan Braces for Influx of Iraqis

AMMAN, JORDAN
— During the buildup to the 1991 Gulf War, hundreds of thousands of people fled Iraq and swept toward Jordan. Some were Jordanians, but many more were Palestinians and migrant workers from elsewhere around the Middle East and from Asia.

Two sprawling camps sprang up in the desert border area overnight, as the Jordanian government and relief agencies rushed to find food, water, and shelter for some 160,000 refugees.

Officials are again pulling out all the stops and have created a contingency plan in case a new US and UN military action against Iraq in the coming days or weeks causes another exodus, this time of Iraqis.

But despite the contingency plan, today Jordan is taking another tack: "We will not allow a mass crossing," says Alaa Abdallat, the coordinator for refugees with the Ministry of Interior in Amman, articulating a government decision made Feb. 1.